What to Put on a Garage Sale Flyer (With a Simple Layout)
The details every garage sale flyer needs, what to leave off, and a simple layout that's easy to read from across the room, plus tips on photos and QR codes.
A garage sale flyer has one job: get someone who glances at it to remember when and where your sale is, and want to come. That means fewer words, bigger type and the right details in the right order.
The must-haves
These belong on every flyer, no exceptions:
- The words “Garage Sale” (or “Yard Sale,” “Moving Sale,” “Multi-Family Sale,” whichever fits). This should be the biggest text on the page.
- Date, with the day of the week. “Saturday, June 6” is easier to process than “6/6.”
- Start and end times. People plan around them.
- Full address. Add a landmark or cross street if your home is tricky to find.
- What’s for sale. Name categories and standout items, not “misc.”
The nice-to-haves
Include these if you have room:
- Two or three photos of your best or most interesting items.
- Payment methods, such as cash only or which payment apps you accept.
- Rain plan: “Rain or shine,” “In the garage if it rains” or a backup date.
- A QR code that links to more details, a map or more photos.
- Rules like “No early sales” or “Everything priced to go.”
What to leave off
- Your phone number, unless you really want calls and texts. An address and hours are usually enough.
- Long item lists. Pick the highlights; a flyer is not an inventory.
- Tiny decorative fonts. If it’s hard to read from six feet away, it won’t get read.
- Prices for everything. One teaser like “Most items $1 to $5” is fine.
A layout that reads at a glance
Think of the flyer in three bands, from top to bottom:
Top: the headline. “GARAGE SALE” in large, bold type. If it’s a special kind of sale, say so: “Multi-Family,” “Moving Sale,” “Neighborhood Sale.”
Middle: the reason to come. Photos and a short line about what you have: Furniture, kids’ bikes, kitchen gear, vinyl records.
Bottom: the logistics. Date, time and address, in type large enough to read from across a room, plus payment info and a QR code in a corner.
Stick to one or two fonts and strong contrast: dark text on a light background, or the reverse. Leave some white space. A crowded flyer is easy to skip.
Choosing photos
If you include photos, they do a lot of the selling. Pick items that are large, distinctive or in high demand, such as furniture, tools, bikes, outdoor gear or a big lot of kids’ clothes. Shoot them in daylight against a plain background. Our guide to photographing garage sale items has more tips.
Why add a QR code
A QR code lets someone who sees your flyer save the details without writing anything down. Link it to a page with the date, time, address and photos so they can pull it up on Saturday morning. Test the code with a couple of different phones before you print.
Before you print
Run through this quick check:
- Is the date correct, and does the weekday match it?
- Are the start and end times right?
- Is the address complete and spelled correctly?
- Can you read the headline from across the room?
- Does the QR code scan and open the right page?
Then print a few extra. Flyers on community boards have a way of disappearing, and it’s handy to have spares to replace them midweek.